A real treat this week for the many fans of Everyman [that includes me].
Not just this ‘regular’ crossword – which was as ever safe and sound – but a delightful Jumbo as a generous extra.
Observer
Jumbo Everyman Christmas Crossword
Well this came as a bit of a surprise, I wasn’t expecting a jumbo today. It’s just as well that I have plenty of time to spare having got all the household chores … Read more >>
Azed 2375
This was a puzzle where I got about half-way through without too much trouble, and then ground to a halt and took much longer to do the rest. Looking back I see that … Read more >>
Everyman 3714/17 December
Another sound Everyman puzzle for our Sunday morning education and entertainment. By the time you read this, no creature will be stirring, not even a murine one, so a chance for me to … Read more >>
Everyman 3,713
It was only a few weeks ago that I said one of the reasons I enjoy the Everyman puzzles is that there are usually very few (if any) double definitions, and no cryptic … Read more >>
AZED 2,374
Thank you Azed. I never get the least bit tired of solving and blogging these puzzles. I can’t explain why this as (specials apart) they have less variation than any other of the puzzles I solve.
AZED 2,373
A plain puzzle with a 13 x 11 grid for this month’s competiton. No doubt Azed will delight us with something more complex for the Christmas special later this month.
Everyman 3,712
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3712.
Everyman 3,711
One thing I like about Everyman puzzles is that there are never any cryptic definitions and very few double definitions. This week was no exception. All the usual comments regarding this series still … Read more >>
Azed 2372
A normal plain puzzle from Azed this week, but one that I found quite difficult I think I have got the parsing right for all the clues, but I am … Read more >>
Everyman 3710/19 November
A puzzle from Everyman with his usual sprinkling of multi-part clues. Some less than pleasing surface readings (if those are important to you) but otherwise, as usual, all sound and tractable. … Read more >>
AZED 2,371
I bought a Chambers Dictionary app for my phone last week so I could solve puzzles in the coffee shop without having to cart the Big Red Book around. So I tried using it for Azed this week. It was clearly more efficient than using the paper copy but made me realize how much of the pleasure of solving Azed is not just in the words I look up but in all those other words I come across on the way. I spend as much time off on tangents as I do solving the puzzle. An efficient app that takes me directly to the entry in question free of distractions sounds good in principle but I don’t think I will be using it as first choice in future. Thanks to Azed for a super puzzle, as always.
Everyman 3,709
Sorry the blog is a bit late this morning, been a busy week.
AZED 2,370
Fairly straightforward Azed with perhaps a little over-reliance on archaic terms.
Azed 2369 – Jigsaw
Presumably just by coincidence, this jigsaw puzzle appeared the day after an alphabetical jigsaw by Paul as the Guardian prize puzzle. I see that, also by coincidence, I blogged the two previous examples, … Read more >>